Radar apparatus find various applications, such as automotive applications including parking assistance and automatic cruise controls. Control of the radar beam allows improved functionality of the apparatus.
Metamaterials are useful for radar applications. An example metamaterial is a composite material having an artificial structure that can be tailored to obtain desired electromagnetic properties. A metamaterial may comprise a repeated unit cell structure. An example unit cell comprises an electrically conducting pattern formed on an electrically non-conducting (dielectric) substrate. The physics of metamaterial are described, for example, in WO2006/023195 to Smith et al.
The electromagnetic response of a metamaterial may be controlled using different parameters associated with a unit cell. For example, parameters may include unit cell dimensions, shape and size of conducting patterns therein, and the like. Hence, a metamaterial can be manufactured having a desired electromagnetic property at a particular operating frequency.